Vending-machine.



No. 868,773. PATENTED 001222, 1907. W. H. H. & 0. R. GORHAM. VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 26.1906.

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WITJV'lKSE-S'. W 0.4M [9. @M WW BY No. 868,773. PATENTED 001?. 22, 1907. W. H. H. & c. R. GORHNAM.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.26. 1906.

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. F y-' mmwwnyraw PATENTED OCT. 22, 1907. W. H. H. & C. R. GORHAM.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED 00T.26.1906.

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. ment in a machine for vending envelops.

- line thereof as indicated by Gin Fig. 2.

UNITED STATES r rENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. l'L'GOItI-IAM AND CHARLES R. GORI-IAM, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE GORHAM OHIO.

MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF VENDING-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. H. GORHAM and CHARLES R. GORHAM, citizens of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga' and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Vending-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a coin controlled vending machine. The machine is well adapted for embodi- It includes suitable mechanism for ejecting the envelops, operating mechanism therefor, and mechanism for guiding a coin so'as to enable the operating mechanism to operate the ejecting mechanism.

The invention is illustrated in the drawings hereof and is hereinafter more fully described and its essential characteristics set out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the vending machine complete; Fig. 2 is a plan showing the ejecting mechanism, the top plate of such mechanism being removed; Fig.3 is a vertical section through such ejecting mechanism, substantially along the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the envelop guidesand the ejecting plunger and its guides; Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the casing of the machine, showing the coin guide; Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the ejecting mechanism along the central Figs; -7 and 8 are fragmentary cross-sections on the lines 7-7 and 8-8, respectively of Fig. 4. I

Referring by reference letters to the embodiment shown in the drawings, A represents a cabinet adapted to contain the envelops to be vended. Thiscabinet has preferably a glass front a through which the envelops are visible, the bottom envelops being arranged to be ejected through a slotted guard a carried by this front. The envelops are guided by suitable vertical rods B B and are maintained in a compact pile by a pressure plate C which rests on top of the envelops and is guided by the rods B. l The envelops themselves are designated Z. At some convenient point, as at the top of the cabinet, is a mouth piebe D for the coin chute. At another convenient point, preferably near the bottom, is an operating plunger E.

' The parts so far described are visible from the exterior of the cabinet, as shown in Fig. 1. Access to the interior of the cabinet may be provided in anysuitable manner, for example, one of the sides may be hinged,

as indicated at a, and provided with a suitable lock 11.

We have referred to the rods 13 B which guide the envelops. These rods are preferably placed so that two of them guide the ends of the envelops and two of them the rear side thereof. As shown, the rods B are secured at their lower ends to a suitable base plate G,

Specification of Letters Patent. v

Application filed October 26, 1906. Serial No. 340,614.

Patented Oct. 22, 1.907.

upper ends of the four rods B and B are secured to a.

top plate H, which has at its forward end a down-turned flange h by which the plate may be secured to the front side of the cabinet above the glass front.

On the underside of the plate F at the ends thereof are a pair of guide-ways formed by strips f and f carried on such underside,-the strips f projecting farther in. ward than the strips f. Beneath the plate F is a plunger-plate J whichhas at its ends ears j occupying guide ways provided by the strips f and f At its forward edge the plate I is provided with fingers j. The envelops are adapted to rest upon the plate F with their flaps downward and occupying the triangle space in front of the plunger fingers and the supporting fingers f 3 carried by the plate F between the plunger fingers, these various fingers being cut back diagonally toward a central point to provide a space corresponding to the shape of the flaps.

The envelops are placed in the machine with the flaps of two successive envelops nesting together, as shown-in Fig. 4. When the plunger is caused to move forward as hereinafter explained, the fingers j engage Y the plate M extending across the mechanism directly slot through the ejection guard. The downward move ment of the plunger not only brings the envelop intov position behind the ejection slot but grasps the envelop between the fingers j and the plate M to insure the ejection. The fingers are made of thin material and are in the nature of leaf springs, wherefore when they bear down on the plate M and efficiently grasp the flap, the openings between the stationary fingers f provide space to allow the fingers j to normally stand with their upper edges (which may be turned upward, as at 9') nearly on a line with the upper surface of the E. At this point, the side walls terminate. There .to the inner side of one of the walls of the cabinet, and

plate F. This insures the fingers j entering between the flap and body of the envelop.

To give the plunger plate J its forward movement, j we have provided the following mechanism: Pivoted t to the plunger plate is the link K connected at its rear end with the lever K. Between such point of connection and the pivotal support K" of this lever a link K runs to the end of a lever K which is pivoted on a stud K rising from the base G, this stud being braced by the bracket K The levers K and K are each shown as constructed of a pair of bars, one above the other, to give the requisite stiffness and to allow the links to be conveniently connected by extending between the respective bars. Suitable distance sleeves surround the pivot studs for these levers and maintain the bars in proper position.

The lever K 'is connected with a sliding rod L by the pin it extending through a slot l in a head I on the rear end of the rod, this rod being guided in a suitable bracket L carried to the base plate. The result of this leverage is that if therod be shoved rearward, .the plunger .l is thereby moved forward. A spring N connecting at its rear end to the lever K and at its forward end to a stationary point, tends to maintain the plunger in its rearmost position.

At the forward end of the machine is a bracket P having a tubular bore whose axis is substantially in line with the axis of the rod L. In this bore is slidably mounted a tubular head or plunger E which is open at its rear end and at its front carries the operating plunger E. Surrounding the head E and within the tubular bore of the bracket is a spring Q bearing at one end against a flange 1; on the head and at the other end against a flange p in the bore of the bracket. In the normal position of the parts, it the plunger E be pressed rearward, the tubular head E simply slides idly over the rod L and no operation takes place. If, however, a coin of the proper size be between the head and rod, it preventsthe head sliding over the rod and the rearward movement of the plunger will move the rod rearward to force the envelop plunger J forward,

ejecting the envelop.

The coin chute is arranged to deliver a deposited coin between the head E and the rod L. This coin chute comprises a mouth piece D in which the coin is inserted; a tubular guide D with which the mouth piece communicates and which as shown is secured a guide way D- which is mounted on the bracket P and into which the guide D discharges. This guide way D leads to a point directly at the rear of the head is however, a bottom wall 1), which may be a portion of the bracket P and which operates to support the coin, and a top wall (P which contracts the passage-- way, preventing the escape of the proper coin but allowing a smaller coin to rollpast the head E.

Beneath the head E and the rod 1. is a space G provided by the removal of a portion of the base plate G and this space may accommodate any suitable recep tacle (not shown) for receiving the deposited coins. The mouth piece D does not allow the insertion of too large a coin. If too small a coin is inserted, it simply rolls idly past the head E and drops into the coin receptacle. When the proper sized coin is inserted, it

comes to rest directly between the head E and the rod L'and forms a bridge across the end of the tubular head, allowing a rearward movement of the plunger to operate the ejecting mechanism to eject the envelops.

When the proper coin has been deposited and the operating plunger E moved rearwardly to eject the envelop, the coin is moved rearwardly between the head E and the receding rod L. Just before the envelop reaches a point where it may be grasped by the operator, the coin passes across the nose of the pivoted gravity pawl R carried by the bracket R secured to the bracket L. The coin passes idly over this pawl but on the return movement of the operating plunger, after the envelop has been ejected, the coin catches on the rear face of the pawl nose and is thereby prevented from returning to position, and, as the head E returns, the coin is tipped over the pawl nose and drops by gravity into the coin receptacle.

It will be seen from the above description that no operation can take place until the proper coin has been inserted and, before the operation has been carried far enough to eject an envelop, the coin is grasped and its deposit in the coin receptacle is insured. It is thus impossible to cause the ejection of more than one set i envelops by successive movements of the plunger with the same coin.

The coin controlled operating mechanism shown herein and above described is not claimed herein but in our divisional application No. 392,887 filed September 14th, 1907.

As an extra precaution against picking the machine,

we provide a dog S which is pivoted to the under side of'the plate M and has a nose s normally extending through an opening m in this plate M in front of the lowermost envelops and across the ejection slot. When this dog is in this position, it is impossible for envelope to be passed out through the slot. I The dog is connected by a wire or link S withthe operating levers as shown, with one of the levers K As this arm of the lever moves rearward, in the first part of the operation, the dog is swung to withdraw the nose from the path of theenvelops, as illustrated by Fig.6.

- The machine may be arranged to eject, as desired. one or more envelops for each coin deposited. When stampedenvelops are vended bearing two cent stamps, the machine may be arrangedto operate upon the deposit of a five cont piece or nickel. In such case, the envelops are placed in the machine in sets of two each, with the flaps meeting as shown in the drawing herein. This insures two envelops being ejected at the same time. The machine may with equal efficiency operate with coins of higher value and eject a corresponding number of envelops,for example, three or four envelops for a dime.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. The combination of a plate for supporting envelops, a plunger-plate beneath the same, guidcways for the edges of said plunger-pinto, means for moving the plunger-plate for ward into the space between the body of the envelop and support and normally behind such space, and means for moving said plate forward and downward into cooperation with another member to grasp the lowermost envelop or envelope and cause their ejection.

3. The combination of a horizontal supporting plate, an

ejecting plate suitably guided on the underside of the sup porting plate, spring'fingcrs on the-forward edge of the cjcctiugplatc, openings in the supporting plate which such lingers occupy, a clamping plate, and means for moving the ejecting plate forward to cause the fingers to enter be tween the ilnp and body of the bottom encvlop, and means for guiding said ejecting plate to give it a diagonally down ward and forward movement after such engagement to cause it to clump the engaged envelop.

-i. The combination of a horizontal supporting platev Vertical guides, nn ejecting plate suitably guided on the underside of the supporting plate, fingers on the forward l l l l In testimony whereof, we hereunto afilx our-signati1res in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. H. GORHAM.- CHARLES R. GORHAM.

Witnesses Anni-nu H. BATES, S. E. Fours. 

